4-5 year long backpain... diet advice related

[bma_mat]

So I'm only 24 (ok now that I do the math, it's been only 4 years since I injured my back). I train BJJ (brazilian jiu jitsu) and injured my back while competing.

It's a muscle related injury.

The only time during the 4 year period that I was pain free was when I was on GOMAD and SS. Within less than a month on the program, all pains went away.

I was on the program for 5 months, and needed to lose a lot of weight for competition (BJJ), so I stopped GOMAD and SS for a while, and pains came back.

For this reason, I'm attributing the lower back pain on deconditioned muscles and old injury too.



MY QUESTION:

Last 7 months I've been eating LCHF (low carb high fat), meaning at max I'm eating 40-50 grams of carbs, and that's all complex carbs. Normal day around 20-30 grams.

I've tried SS again without the GOMAD for my lower back, and this time, I keep injuring it, is it possible that it's because I'm not getting enough calories?

This is likely, so the real question:


Would I be able to get rid of my injury while on LCHF (if desperate, I'm willing to drink 1-2 pints of whipping cream which would total the same calories as GOMAD).

I really don't wanna get off LCHF because of health reasons (I feel the best I've ever felt, my life long acne has all disappeared too).

Sry for long post, and thx to any answers.

[Root]

I don't think anyone can help you unless you list:

Your height and weight. Give your weight at each point in your training history.
Your starting and ending 1RMs or 5RMs for your 5 month run of SS
How much weight did you lose in your 7 month layoff
Did you do any weight training during your 7 month layoff. If so, describe.
Describe the nature of your recent injuries.
What weights did you start with when you restarted SS and how large jumps have you taken. <------------- this seems like the likely culprit in your recent injuries

[bma_mat]

Wow... had just written 5 paragraphs or more, and it all disappeared.

Short version:

I looked at logs, I wasn't on SS for 5 months. The REAL SS was only 1.5 month duration. And another 1.5 months doing stuff with smith machine (the back pains didn't dissapear from this period, so I won't count it).

But from 1.5 last month period:

AT the end, maxes:

Bench: 205 x 5
Squat: 230 x 5
Press: 150 x 5
DeadL: 265 x 5
PowCl: 160 x 3

Beggining (1.5 months earlier):

Bench: 165 x 5
Squat: 135 x 5
Press: 120 x 5 (had been working on it during the initial 2 months)
DeadL: 190 x 5 (had been working on it during the initial 2 months)
PowCl: 135 x 3 (had been working on it during the initial 2 months)


Current: 6'3 183 lbs (small boned).

The layoff was about 1 year (5 months normal diet, last 7 months LCHF).
In that 1.5 month period, I went from 188lb to 215 lbs. The 2 months before that, I went from 180ish to 188.

I did not weight work during layoff period. Only BJJ.

INJURY:

Every time in the last month or two that I've been trying to get SS started, I'd start Squats and DL at lowest 135 lbs (back can't take much more anyway). First two sessions would be fine. Squats increments of 10lb and DL of 15lbs. Then the third session, during the 2nd or 3rd set, I always seem to injure my back. Feel a pain. I can feel the pain when I bend forward, it's lower back.



I'm thinking since my first time that I went SS, I didn't injure myself and healed my back, the ONLY difference has been calorie intake.

Then I was taking around 4k calories a day.
Now I'm maxing maybe 2400 calories a day, some days less. Should I make smaller increments? My Press is already at 135lb 5x3, so it's slowly going up, but this damn back won't let me squat or dl for more than 2-3 sessions before it injures itself again.

Or should I try same increments, increase calories via fat?

Or just maybe, am I forced to ditch my diet and get lots of carbs?



Thx.
Mat.

[jkw]

Every time in the last month or two that I've been trying to get SS started, I'd start Squats and DL at lowest 135 lbs (back can't take much more anyway). First two sessions would be fine. Squats increments of 10lb and DL of 15lbs. Then the third session, during the 2nd or 3rd set, I always seem to injure my back.

Check your ego at the door and start at an empty bar, or at least something < 100lbs. Don't increment by 10. Do more reps if you like. Don't add weight if your back feels tired that day. Don't do your 2nd and 3rd set if your back is feeling tired, or do backoff sets for them. Don't add weight 3 times a week, do it more the advanced novice way, with a light day in the middle. Do other back strengthening exercises if you want. Listen to your back, do what it says, not what you want to do.

Also, you can try front squats. But start really low there as well.

The more you keep hurting your back, the worse it will get and the longer it will take to get better.

[bma_mat]

So you think starting at like 80 pounds is a good idea? And go up 20ish pounds a week?

[jkw]

So you think starting at like 80 pounds is a good idea? And go up 20ish pounds a week?

Sure whatever, 80lbs can be light. But I think you might be missing the main point which is that you need to listen to your back and do what it says. It is obviously saying that it does not like what you are doing now, and I would guess that you might have been able to notice a warning sign on the days you hurt it. It sounds silly, but you need to get in a close relationship with it and listen for every little whine and complaint it gives you however minor it may seem. And fucking don't do more sets and don't increase weight if you even think it might have a chance of being too tired or a little weak or you felt a little too stiff or if there was a tiny pain.

Stop with the "I want to add X amount per week".

Start with the "Lets try a light amount and see how it feels. If it feels strong and healthy, I will consider adding 5lbs the next time, but maybe I'll just do more reps next time, and add it the time after that, but we'll see how it feels next time, and if after 1 or 2 sets it feels a little weird, I'll stop and try again next time, or maybe the time after that"

Also, warmup well and work on mobilization.

Lest you think I am being too preachy, understand that I struggle with the same issue, and it is a constant battle to not overuse it and increase too fast. Understand that even if you add 15 pounds every 2 weeks, that is still adding 195lbs in 6 months.

[tzanghi]

This sounds like a form issue to me, but I may be biased. When my bar position deviates, I sometimes get lower back pain above a certain weight and it gets worse as the weight increases. Post a video in the technique forum.

Honestly, I know squatting isn't a cure-all, but most of my back-related issues disappear when I squat with correct form.

[bma_mat]

The thought just came to me... Should I maybe get a lifting belt? At the small weights I'm squatting, would it help prevent the injuries I'm getting?

[FatButWeak]

LCHF has been working great for weight loss - I look and feel great. But like you I do have a slightly nagging injury that just won't heal - my knee.

I think LCHF is a great diet for fat loss and I have not lost strength on it, but I have not gained a lot of strnegth, either. Just adding two cents.

[jrnb]

Hi,

I have the same issue. I have backpain for very long time and more after several accidients.it is one of the reasons i started lifting.when i am on a surplus diet backpains getting less and even sometimes gone for several days.When on a cut the backpain is really bad.everytime i was on a cut the backpain got worse.Even as bad that i was almost unable to get out of my car.i am trying to figure out why and i found out that it is common when people lose weight that they can get more backpain.The first time i read about it was by john broz who advised not to lose weight to fast and not more then i believe 10%.Otherwise his lifters got backpain.he did not know why but it did happen.Now i am on a cut and the pain is so bad that i cant squat and deadlift.I really want to keep the bodyweight lower this time for a longer time to find out if the body addepts and maybe the backpain get back to the normal level.